Hospitality

Fine, you’re thinking, except that restaurants and real estate are filled with opportunities, unlike my business. I don’t buy it. There are inflection points—patterns—in every business. Look closely, and you’ll find them. And when you do, make sure you do something about it.

People often confuse hospitality with luxury, but I could have given that table a bottle of vintage Krug and a kilo of caviar, and it wouldn’t have had anywhere near the same impact. Luxury means just giving more; hospitality means being more thoughtful.

If you know that people are going to come in, looking to buy a car for their teenager, why wouldn’t you be prepared with an act of hospitality that will strengthen their connection to your brand? How would you feel about a car salesperson who pulled you aside and said, “Look, I know what it’s like to have a newly licensed teenager on the road, so I... See more